Educating and Nurturing Healthy LifestylesPlan of Work

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Breathitt County CES

Title:
Educating and Nurturing Healthy Lifestyles
MAP:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Agents Involved:
Kayla Watts & Reed Graham
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Fit Blue/Get Moving KY
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Sustainable Agriculture
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
4-H Health Core Curriculum
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours
Situation:

The Centers for Disease Control found in a nationally representative survey that only 29% of high school youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on each of the seven days before the survey. Participation in physical activity decreases as we age.

The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.

Long-Term Outcomes:

-Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily

-Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension

-A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly

-Increase in positive health habits

-Lower the risk for physical and emotional distress

-Youth are competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of their participation in 4-H Health

programs

Intermediate Outcomes:

-Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.

-Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors

-Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.

-Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.

-Decrease risky health choices across the lifespan

Initial Outcomes:

-Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:

-Healthy lifestyle choices

-Childhood and youth obesity

-Adult weight management

-Healthy aging

-Practice and promotion of daily physical activity

-Policies that that reduce the level of obesity

-Reduction of chronic disease

-Practice Self-Esteem Building

-Practice Stress Management

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  Participants will learn the benefits of making healthy choices over the life span

Indicator:  Data given at programming

Method:  Evaluations, Extension Record Keeping

Timeline:  2019-2020


Intermediate Outcome:  Community members will regularly practice skills learned from healthy living programming

Indicator:  Continuation of best practices, Continuation of involvement in healthy living initiatives

Method:  Follow-Up Evaluations, Observations

Timeline:  2019-2020


Long-term Outcome:  Community members will recognize and see difference in over-all health due to continued participation in healthy living initiatives, Community will see difference in population health

Indicator:  Decrease number of obesity rates in county population, Prevention of and best practices in managing chronic diseases 

Method:  Observation, Long-Term Evaluation Follow-Up

Timeline:  2019-2020

Learning Opportunities:

Audience:  All Ages

Project or Activity:  Walking/Step Challenges

Content or Curriculum:  FitBlue, Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Curriculum materials, Healthy Bulletins

Inputs:  Agents, Educators, Volunteers, Community Partners, Health Planning Council, Diabetes Coalition

Date: 2019-2020


Audience:  Youth (9-18)

Project or Activity:  4-H School Clubs/Meetings/Activities

Content or Curriculum:  Teen Cuisine, Health Rocks Curriculum, Health Bulletins

Inputs:  Agents, Educators, School Leaders, Volunteers

Date:  2019-2020


Audience:  All Ages

Project or Activity:  Home Gardening Program

Content or Curriculum:  UK Publications - Gardening/Growing in KY

Inputs:  Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, Community Partners

Date:  2019-2020



Success Stories

Dining With Diabetes

Author: Kayla Watts

Major Program: National Dining with Diabetes

According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, one in seven Kentucky adults has been diagnosed with diabetes.  Breathitt County, which is part of the Kentucky River Area, has upwards of 22 percent of the adult population diagnosed diabetic.  Although community members may know the diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one, learning how to manage this new lifestyle can be difficult.  Providing programming on lifestyle change is important for overall physical, and metal hea

Full Story

FitBlue Virtual 5K in May

Author: Kayla Watts

Major Program: Fit Blue/Get Moving KY

According to Kentucky By The Numbers:  COVID-19 At Risk County Profiles, 16.8% (11.3%-24.4%) of the adult population of Breathitt County has diabetes and 36.1% (27.0%-46.3%) of the adult population is obese. Because physical activity is linked to better management of chronic diseases and lowering obesity rates, it is very important that Breathitt County citizens, particularly the mentioned populations, have access and motivation to participate in physical activities, especially during very

Full Story
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